Bloody
by yanocchi
Summary: Katara remembers the blood... Drabble for the Zutara100 C2. Rated for violence.


**Theme # 26 - Blood**

**by Yanocchi for the Zutara100 C2**

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It was probably the most terrifying moment of Katara's life. She had never felt more helpless. The battle that had seemed so loud a moment ago was suddenly silent. Her world was reduced to the tall, long limbed figure that was slowly toppling to his knees. Even as he fell Zuko grasped his sister by the shoulders and pulled her down with him. The circuit suddenly completed, Azula was hit with the force of her own lightning, and she fell screaming. Katara was already running towards their combined form. Azula's eyes rolled back in her head and she lost consciousness. 

'Weakling,' Katara thought somewhere in the back of her mind. 'How many times did you hit Zuko with that same lightning, and he stood up every single time.'

Time no longer moved at its regular pace. Katara distinctly saw the way Zuko's body shuddered as he collapsed heavily to his knees. His head tipped back and looked towards the smoke-shrouded sky, his expression peaceful. That was perhaps the most scary thing. He wobbled briefly, then tipped backwards.

Katara didn't remember crossing the intervening space, but the next thing she remembered was lifting Zuko's head into her lap and crying his name over and over.

Azula had wounded him badly. Her wicked blue fire had cut deep into his stomach. Katara's mind had gone numb. Irregardless of the magnitude of what she was doing, she dumped her remaining water over Zuko's open torso and thrust her hands to the wound. Zuko didn't even gasp as Katara jostled him. He had passed out.

"Zuko! Zuko! Wake up! Listen to me! Zuko!" Katara felt the tears running from her eyes. Under her hands she could feel Zuko's heart pumping erratically, the blood spurting from between her fingers. Even as she tried to heal, somewhere deep inside Katara knew it was too late.

"Zuko! No!"

Zuko sighed and it sounded wet. Katara lifted her eyes to his face in horror. A dark stream of blood ran from the corner of his mouth, staining his lips a just-kissed pink.

Katara screamed and lifted her hands to her face in horror. She screamed again when she saw Zuko's blood dripping down her wrists. She couldn't stop screaming. There was so much blood. How much blood had he lost? How much blood did he have? Still screaming, Katara stared at the blood running from her fingers. It was like she was made of blood. It was like she was melting in his blood. She WAS melting in his blood! Like an ice sculpture thrown into a fire, her fingers lost their form and trickled down her arms, then her arms started to melt...

Katara awoke with a choked scream. She was sweating heavily and the sheets clung to her legs in a tangled embrace. The dream still fresh in her mind, Katara lifted her shaking hands to examine them in the faint light of the moon that filtered through the window. They were the same color they had always been, albeit pale and washed out in the moonlight. There was a sleepy mumble at her side and Katara looked down.

Zuko lay there, still fast asleep. Katara watched him sleep, the pace of her heart slowing gradually. She placed one hand lightly on his bare shoulder and shivered; the night air had cooled his skin. At her touch Zuko shifted closer. Impulsively Katara burrowed into the blankets, pressing herself against his chest, eager to hear the reassuring beat of his heart. At her sudden movement Zuko finally roused.

"Katara?" he murmured in fond concern.

"It's nothing, a bad dream," she replied in a whisper.

Zuko silently put his arms around her and kissed her briefly on the forehead. He dropped back into slumber quickly, but Katara couldn't fall sleep just yet. She moved her hand to Zuko's muscled stomach and felt the massive scar there. Finally, her eyes fell shut in sleep, lulled by the strong and steady beat of Zuko's heart.

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**ATOGAKI: **I don't really know what inspired me to write this, but here it is. Blood is so emotive. I'm probably using that word wrong, but whatever.

This has nothing to do with my RBF (really big fic) it was just a drabble. A new chapter for that is on the way, so if you're wondering what happened to me, and more importantly what happened to my fic, the answer is hold your horses. X3


End file.
